In Lviv, there is a school called "Kruk," founded by veteran Oleksandr Desiatnykov. The defender helps Ukrainians master the essential disciplines of military affairs. The school offers training in firearms and tactical preparation, emergency first aid, aerial reconnaissance, engineering, and mine-explosive safety.
The cadets of the "Kruk" school are preparing for a tactical training session, donning military gear. These young men are civilians but have been learning military skills for six months. The lesson begins with a reminder of the rules for handling weapons and instructions from the instructor, veteran and founder of the school Oleksandr Desiatnykov. Following this, there is a warm-up – the cadets shoot at targets from various distances. Afterward, the cadets engage in a small group task – deploying with the aim of hitting a target. According to the scenario, one of the soldiers has sustained an arm injury and has lost consciousness, while a comrade provides aid, and another covers them. All tasks are carried out under the vigilant supervision of Oleksandr, who later analyzes their actions.
Another task the cadets practice is working in the upper pulse zone. They perform it in turns. A cadet starts from cover, runs to a tire, takes one, returns to cover, and fires five times. To simulate combat conditions, they use a smoke grenade in the field.
“You are very exhausted, running hard, under load, and still need to make an accurate shot. When we raise the pulse, the hit accuracy significantly decreases,” explains Oleksandr Desiatnykov.
The "Kruk" school was established by veteran Oleksandr Desiatnykov in the fall of 2023 after his return from the front lines. He joined the defense of the country in the early days of the full-scale invasion, serving in the 125th Territorial Defense Brigade. He was injured in Bakhmut in March 2023 when an enemy shell struck, severely damaging the defender's spine. After a lengthy rehabilitation, Oleksandr trained alone to stay in shape. However, over time, friends and acquaintances joined him, and the number of those willing to undergo tactical training increased. Thus, the idea of founding a school emerged. Both civilians and military personnel are trained here.
“The first direction, from which everything began, is firearms training, tactical training, which I am involved in. We also have emergency first aid training for both civilians and military personnel. Additionally, we provide training in mine-explosive safety and UAV piloting,” shares the veteran and founder of the "Kruk" school, Oleksandr Desiatnykov.
The "Kruk" school also collaborates with the recruiting center Recruiter.ua to train their recruits. Theoretical classes on tactical medicine take place in an office in Lviv, while field exercises are conducted at the official shooting range of SSK "Karabin." Importantly, the instructors at the school are veterans and active military personnel. The name is dedicated to Oleksandr's fallen comrades.
“On March 4, 2023, three of my friends were killed; they were the commanders of my battalion. Their call signs were internally “Kruk 1,” “Kruk 2,” “Kruk 3,” and in memory of these guys, we named the school,” says Oleksandr Desiatnykov.
Oleksandr's goal is to share his experience with people, teach them, and prepare them for potential participation in the war, alleviating their fear of weapons.
“Secondly, I want to involve veterans who have retired or active military personnel in the work, so they can pass on relevant skills to those eager to learn, and third – I enjoy it,” adds Oleksandr Desiatnykov.
The administrative work at the school is handled by Oleksandr's beloved, Natalia. She has also completed a tactical training course, so she fully understands all the specifics.
“This somewhat alleviates his feeling of guilt that while he is here, he cannot fully support his comrades there; here he does what he can. I communicate with people who reach out to us. I manage the enrollment for classes. During the classes, I assist, prepare the range, and create content,” says the administrator of the "Kruk" school, Natalia.
The cadets of the school say that the training is very beneficial for them.
“Given the situation, I believe every man should be able to understand and manage all of this, at least minimally. Tactical medicine is essential for everyone to know because if not "Oreshnik," then something else may come, and you need to know how to apply a tourniquet. Firearms training is also good to have, but tactical knowledge is crucial. My motivation is to become better and, in case of mobilization, to effectively eliminate enemies,” states a cadet of the school.
More details about the "Kruk" school can be found on Instagram and on the website.